Boy, it's HARD to find books where the rats aren't the bad guys! But we have found some, and here they are. Squeaker likes easy-reader books and picture books, Melvin likes chapter books. If you know any books we might like, please e-mail our boss!

Squeaker's Favorite Books

Smudge, by John Rowe

A baby rat is kidnapped and lives with several different families until he finds one who can love him. Squeaker's favorite!

Howway for Wodney Wat!, by Helen Lester.

The other critters in Rodent School make fun of the way shy Wodney talks, until his special difference makes a fool of the school bully. Great illustrations and fun story,

I.Q. Goes to School, by Mary Ann Fraser

I.Q. doesn't want to be the class pet--he wants to be a student! He learns to write and paint and do math, and waits eagerly for his turn to be chosen Student of the Week. Adorable!

I.Q. Goes to to the Library, by Mary Ann Fraser

I.Q. joins the class in a trip to the library. Will he ever be able to find the funny book the librarian read aloud, when there are so many books to search through?

The White Rat's Tale, by Barbara Schiller

Very amusing story about a childless king and queen who ask a good fairy to turn their wonderful white rat into a princess. The magnificent illustrations by Adrienne Adams will make you laugh.

Hurray for Ethelyn, by Babette Cole

Ethelyn wants to be a brain surgeon, but will the bullies at her new school make her lose her dream? Wonderful illustrations by the author.

Three Cheers for Errol, by Babette Cole

Errol isn't good at anything but sports, and his schoolmates call him dumb. When he breaks his leg right before the big Ratathalon, he saves the day with a clever idea and hard work.

Don't Need Friends, by Carolyn Crimi

When Rat's friend Possum moves away, Rat decides he doesn't need friends.

The Great Big Bullfrog, by Colin West

A great big bullfrog meets a great big rat and other great big animals, and suddenly doesn't feel so big.

Trashy Town, by Andrea Zimmerman

Dump it in, smash it down! Drive around the trashy town! Mr. Gilly, the trash man, cleans up Trashy Town. A pair of rats appear in the illustrations on every picture.

Nosy Mrs. Rat, by Jeffrey Allen

The funny story of Shirley Rat, the nosiest person in town, and how young Brewster Blackstone cures her snoopy habits...sort of.

It Chanced to Rain, by Kathleen Bullock

Rhyming tale of several animals who go walking on a rainy day, including three small rats in black felt hats. Very cute.

Patty Cat, by Barbara deRubertis

Why does Mat the Rat steal Patty cat's bat?

Sam, Who Was Swallowed By A Shark, by Phyllis Root

Sam the river rat dreams of the sea, so he builds a sailboat and sails away...

The Most Amazing Dinosaur, by James Stevenson

Wilfred the rat takes shelter from the winter weather in a natural history museum, and finds a lot of other creatures hiding there, too. Of course, they get in trouble!

Mooch the Messy, Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

Mooch is messy! His father is neat. When Mooch's father comes to visit, how can they both enjoy it?

Mooch the Messy meets Prudence the Neat, by

A very messy rat meets his new neighbor, an extremely neat rat. They find an amusing solution to getting along.

The Meal a Mile Long, by Frieda Hughes

When Walter picks a flower from the garden of a cruel king, he is sentenced to death. Only the starving rats in the dungeon are clever enough to save him!

The Rats who Lived in the Delicatessen, by Harold Berson

There's enough food for everyone in the delicatessen...until they start fighting over it.

Rat is dead and Ant is sad, by Betty Baker

Based on a Pueblo Indian tale, Ant believes Rat is dead, and tells Blue Jay, who tells the tree, etc., causing a chain reaction.

Kenny's Rat, by Anne Kouts

Kenny's parents let him get a pet rat, saying that he must take responsibility for her himself. But one day he forgets to close the cage...

A Tale of Two Rats, by Claude Lager

Arthur the rat can't sell the pictures he paints in New York, so he goes to Italy with his friend Jack.

Santa Rat

The desert animals each ask Santa to bring them something, and leave Santa a gift. A pack rat wanders through, with interesting results.

The Wedding of the Rat Family, retold by Carol Kendall

A high-born rat family are too proud to marry their daughter to their poor and lowly fellow rats, and seek the most powerful mate possible, with disastrous results--for them, anyway. An old Chinese story.

The Rat And The Tiger, by Keiko Kasza

Rat and Tiger are friends, but Rat gets tired of Tiger's bullying.

Pebbles, a Pack Rat, by Edna Miller

A pack rat makes a home in a scarecrow and begins collecting objects, mystifying the people who live nearby. Great drawings by the author!

The Cat's Purr, by Ashley Brian

Rat loves Cat and copies everything he does. But then Cat says Rat isn't allowed to play the cat-drum. Really cute!

Pete Pack Rat's Christmas Eve Surprise, by Robert Quackenbush

When the Gila Monster gang breaks out of the Pebble Junction Jail and steals the piñata, only Pete Packrat can save the Christmas party.

The Rat Race, by Colin McNaughten

Anton B. Stanton, a very tiny boy, finds his way into the rat kingdom and takes part in a race.

Anton B. Stanton And The Pirats, by Colin McNaughton

Anton B. Stanton returns to fight rat pirates!

Flat Cat, by Russell Hoban

A book of few words, this comic-book style adventure features Cat and his sidekick Rat against alien mice.

Charles Rat's Picnic, by Susan Saunders

Charles Rat and Miranda Armadillo go on a picnic together

Four Fat Rats, by Cathy Bellows

They get bigger and fatter and rattier and sassier! Hee, hee!

The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat, by Nurit Karlin

Can the rat get the fat cat off the mat?

Cinderella's Rat, by Susan Meddaugh

A fairy godmother catches a rat and turns him into a coachman, just to take some chick to a party!

The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter

Well, the rats are nasty in this one, but the book is dedicated to Sammy, Beatrix Potter's pet rat, so we forgive her. A mischievous kitten is captured by the rat Samuel Whiskers, who plans to have his wife bake a kitten pudding for dinner.

The Adventures of Christabel Crocodile, by Helga Knüppel

Christabel gets lost in the sewer, where she is saved by René Rat

Christabel Crocodile's Birthday Egg, by Helga Knüppel

René Rat gives Christabel an egg to hatch.

The Ballad of the Long-Tailed Rat, by Charlotte Pomerantz

Everybody argues over who deserves credit for catching the long-tailed rat. Guess who has the last word?

Wharf Rat, by Miska Miles

A realistic portrayal of a day in the life of a wild wharf rat. (Though I somehow doubt they sit up and bare their teeth to frighten off dogs!)

A rat is a rat? by Ann Dellis

A child observes a pack rat

Melvin's Favorite Books

I was a Rat, by Phillip Pullman--Melvin's Favorite

Old Bob and Joan have no children of their own, so when a strange little boy turns up at their house, they take him in....even though Roger claims to have been a rat and behaves in a strangely ratty manner.

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, by Terry Pratchett--Melvin's Other Favorite

Who knew that the rats were in on the Pied Piper's plot? Terry Pratchett, the master of fantasy humor, brings Rat culture to Discworld, as a colony of magic, talking rats struggle to find a home for themselves.

The Red Hot Rattoons, by Elizabeth Winthrop

A family of rats want to follow in their parents' footsteps by becoming great dancers, and performing at the famous Boom-Boom Room. But when they reach the big city, they discover that the Boom-Boom Room is closed down, and a local troupe of acrobat rats won;t stand for any competition in street performances. It looks like the only possible audience left is...humans! Anyone who's interested in dancing or who likes rats should love this book!

Dragonrider by Cornelia Funke

A boy and a dragon search for the safe valley where the rest of the dragons hide. They would never have made it without the aid of several clever, brave and remarkable RATS!

Ms. Wiz Smells a Rat, by Terence Blacker

The magical schoolteacher, Ms. Wiz, has married, and her husband insists on NO MORE MAGIC in the house. This includes getting rid of Herbert, her talking rat. She dumps Herbert on Podge Harris, whose parents hate pets AND magic! A very funny story, and Terence Blacker wins a special ratty hug for this quote--"Rats are charming, easy-going creatures.....Hamsters, gerbils and guinea pigs are all right in their way, but most sensible people would agree that there's no pet quite as perfect in every way as a rat."

Christmas Rat, by Avi

A mysterious and scary stranger shows up to kill the rat in the basement. Eric decides Christmas is not the time for killing, but how can he save the rat, and how dangerous is the weird exterminator?

The Tale of the Swamp Rat, by Carter Crocker

An orphaned rat is raised in the swamp...by an alligator!

The Skull of Truth, by Bruce Coville

A boy gets an enchanted skull which forces everyone to tell the truth. Rats named Roxanne and Jerome carry messages from the magic shop owner the skull belongs to.

Third Grade Pet, by Judy Cox

Rosemary tries to save the class pet rat by taking him home with her.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Scott C. O'Brien

To save her son's life, Mrs. Frisby must get help from the mysterious rats who live under the rose bush.

Racso and the Rats of NIMH, by Jane Leslie Conly

Racso, the son of Jenner, runs away from the city to find the rats of NIMH and learn from them, but Thorn Valley is threatened by a newly-built dam.

R-T, Margaret, and the Rats of NIMH, by Jane Leslie Conly

Two lost children discover the secret home of the Rats of NIMH.

The Rat War, by Elsie McCutcheon

In England, a year after World War II, there is a terrible food shortage and a terrible infestation of rats. Lonely Nicholas is stealing food to feed and tame a young rat he has befriended. What will happen if they're caught?

A Rat's Tale, by Tor Seidler

Monty Madrat, a member of an artistic rat family, falls in love with the daughter of a rich and important rat, and tries to impress her by helping to save the rat population from a human poisoner. An interesting book, which has been made into a children's movie with marionettes.

Shadow Walkers, by Russ Chenoweth

The rats live in an advanced society in hiding from Humans, but some young rats are interested in people.

The Warm Place, by Nancy Farmer

A baby giraffe, kidnapped from Africa, escapes and defeats demons with the help of rat and chameleon friends, and a little boy who understands animal speech.

The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame

Can Rat, Mole and Badger keep Toad out of trouble? No way!

Charlotte's Web, by E. B. White

A spider tries to save Wilbur the Pig, with the aid of Templeton the rat.

RATS!, by Jane Cutler

Several stories about two brothers. In one story they get two pet rats.

RATS!, by Pat Hutchins

Sam wants a pet rat so much he buys it before he gets his parents' permission. How he gets it, and what happens after, make several funny stories.

The Dawn Seekers, by Carol Hamilton

Quentin packrat is nocturnal and lives in a barren patch of desert. Together with two friends, he goes on an expedition to see the color green.

The Amazing Valvano and the Mystery of the Hooded Rat, by Mary Robinson

Just before the big talent contest, the pet rat Maria needs for her magic act mysteriously disappears.

A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

True, Melchisedec doesn't play a BIG role in the book, but hey, there are no small parts, just small rats. Sara's father dies while she is living at school, leaving her a poor orphan at the mercy of the school's owner, the cruel Miss Minchin. Three little girls and a rat in the attic are her secret friends.

I Am Leaper, by Annabel Johnson

A kangaroo rat comes to humans to ask for help against a monster. Only a young boy can understand her.

The Mouse and His Child, by Russell Hoban

Okay, the rat's a villain, but he's SO COOL! A windup toy mouse tries to get a life of his own, while Manny Rat tries to enslave and then destroy him. We love Manny! You will, too, by the end of the book.

Petsitters Club 7: Oscar the Fancy Rat, by Tessa Krailing

The Petsitters get a job babysitting a rat, but nobody wants the poor little guy.

Warton and the Traders, by Russell E. Erickson

When Warton Toad wants to help his aunt rescue an orphaned fawn, he needs the help of the trader woodrats.

The Holiday Rat and The Utmost Mouse, by Felice Holman

These two stories are based (very loosely, I suspect) on true events. In one, a rat helps save a company from going out of business. In the second, a pet mouse helps build a power plant by pulling a wire through a blocked conduit. (If you like this idea, check out Judy's Rat in the Links page!) Charming illustrations by Wallace Tripp

Danby and George, by Betty Baker

When George Woodrat's house is destroyed, fussy Danby Deermouse invites him to live in his own home in the zoo. Stubborn, reckless George breaks all the zoo rules, to Danby's horror. Quite an odd couple!